Xilxes, we are a village located in La Plana Baixa, a region in the province of Castelló. Our climate is warm, typical of the Mediterranean coast. Our beaches are about 3 kilometres from the town centre of the municipality, next to our seaside town. Our economic activity is mainly based on agriculture and industry. Typical and famous are the melons of Xilxes, grown in summer in our marshland, as well as large extensions of citrus fruits, mostly clementines. Its quiet, pedestrianised streets are lined with emblematic buildings, gardens and other elements representative of the town's history. And its beaches, places to enjoy.
Walking through the streets of Xilxes/Chilches is a highly recommended exercise. On both sides we can find emblematic buildings, especially if we walk around the church, Arbelló street and Alfonso XIII square. The Santísimo Cristo de la Junquera square, a reference point for locals and visitors alike, is striking for its beautiful gardens which are laid out in two concentric circles and for the pergola in one of them, located next to the railway station.
The nerve centre of the town is the Plaza de España, where the town hall, the abbey house and the parish church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, dating from the end of the 17th century, are located. Of Baroque and neoclassical origin, the altar of the Santíssim Crist de la Jonquera, patron saint of the municipality, stands out inside. From the Plaza de Alfonso XIII you can admire the buttresses of the church, which are preserved in very few churches in the territory.
The Font de la Unió, also located in the Plaça Espanya, is one of the most representative elements of the village, which was the first fountain to supply drinking water to its inhabitants in 1916, being rebuilt in 1985. The name Font de la Unió was given to it because of the work carried out at that time by the inhabitants of the municipality, as it was they themselves who built it; either with financial contributions, with their own contributions as day labourers or with their horses. The charm of the Font de la Unió lies in the place where it is located, below the level of the population.
Behind the church itself at the beginning of Calle Juan Carlos I is the "Christian Necropolis of Xilxes" which takes us into the town's past. Discovered in the course of the remodelling work on Calle Juan Carlos I in 2007, burial sites dating from the 13th to 18th centuries were discovered, with the discovery of six discoidal stelae being of particular interest.
Moreover, a stone's throw from the town centre and the maritime settlement, is the hermitage of the Santísimo Cristo de la Junquera, rebuilt in 2000 and located on the site where the image of this Christ was found on 18 January 1625. This discovery gave rise to the cult of our patron saint. Nowadays it is still commemorated with a pilgrimage that goes from the parish church to the hermitage, taking place on the Sunday close to that date.
This is an ensemble belonging to a line of defence at the forefront of the XYZ line that dominates the plain and the old national road. There is a trench with firing positions, three shelters, an observatory and three observation posts. It was restored in 2022 and a small tour of the mountain can be made with the explanatory panels installed and its signposting.
The promenade is one of the most emblematic works of our municipality, its length is 1.5 km, wide and totally pedestrian. It is a modern style promenade, with beautiful green spaces, play areas for children, benches, gardens and various statues that form a harmonious whole and invite you to take a pleasant stroll. Between the promenade and the bathing area, there is a wide esplanade with play areas for beach football and volleyball nets, where you can play sports. In summer we can enjoy the different cultural activities that take place in the beach library, as well as the viewpoint that allows us to go into the sea and admire from there the incomparable views of these marvellous beaches, a photographic icon of the municipality.
Xilxes Marshes is part of a coastal wetland complex that stretches along several kilometres of the coast of Castellón. This wetland complex is of great ecological importance, as it is home to a great diversity of flora and fauna and constitutes an important habitat for numerous species of migratory and aquatic birds. Xilxes Marshes is an ideal place for hiking and cycle touring, as well as for bird watching and nature photography. In addition, in the surrounding area there are numerous beaches of fine sand and crystal-clear waters that are very popular with visitors.
Other places of special interest are the children's playground, in the Plaza Jardín, and the Plaza Juan Pablo II, where the big events take place during the week of the patron saint and St. Vincent Ferrer festivities.